Re: EB online

["Van Borm Julien" <julien.vanborm@uia.ua.ac.be>]

We are currently installing and soon testing an authentication server
based on LDAP (X.500 standard). This is because UA believes that
identification based on IP numbers is going to create problems and
increasingly will be refused for access to databases and full text
journals. However, for the time being we rely mainly on IP based
identification.

Julien Van Borm
Directeur
UIA-Bibliotheek
Universiteit Antwerpen
PB 13
B 2610 Antwerpen
Belgium
Tel: +32-3-820 21 43
---------------------


David Carlson wrote:
> 
> Not sure this is the right issue for this list but let's give it a shot.
> 
> We noticed in a recent promotional email communication from Encyclopedia
> Britannica a promotional statement that the academic community of users on
> a campus with EB online have home access to EB online available to them.
> We had been unaware that this was a component of our access to EB online
> so we contacted them. We learned that to offer home access EB requires
> that the library or campus have a secure server which would provide
> authentication of users, via a student ID for example, so that only
> registered users would be allowed in. I'm sure there are some schools that
> have such servers, but I think our campus is more typical -- we don't have
> such authentication.
> 
> We pursued the conversation with EB a bit suggesting that they provide
> some sort of password-based access. No deal. The message we got was a
> concern that any such account/password would surely appear posted on a web
> page the next day for all to see and use -- nothing doing.
> 
> We are wondering how to respond and if to pursue this with EB. We'd very
> much like to offer our campus home access for obvious reasons. We also
> have this notion that if EB includes such permission, we are paying for it
> and we should be able to offer it. We feel like EB's requirement of a
> secure sever isn't reasonable and while their security concerns are
> certainly valid, there are other reasonable solutions. For example, we
> offer home access to our EbscoHost full text databases on the basis of
> ID/password. To my knowledge, we've had no abuses but if we do, we will
> immediately change things and see if we can identify the source of the
> problem.
> 
> I know many libraries have licensed EB online; I'd be curious to know if
> others are offering home access to and reactions to our perspective on the
> issues.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> -----
> David Carlson, Director of Libraries
> Bridgewater State College
> Bridgewater, MA  02325
> E: dcarlson@bridgew.edu
> V:  508/697-1256
> Fax:  508/697-1349

-- 

Fax: +32-3-820 21 59
Email: julien.vanborm@uia.ua.ac.be